LC3 lipidation is essential for TFEB activation during the lysosomal damage response to kidney injury

Nat Cell Biol. 2020 Oct;22(10):1252-1263. doi: 10.1038/s41556-020-00583-9. Epub 2020 Sep 28.

Abstract

Sensing and clearance of dysfunctional lysosomes is critical for cellular homeostasis. Here we show that transcription factor EB (TFEB)-a master transcriptional regulator of lysosomal biogenesis and autophagy-is activated during the lysosomal damage response, and its activation is dependent on the function of the ATG conjugation system, which mediates LC3 lipidation. In addition, lysosomal damage triggers LC3 recruitment on lysosomes, where lipidated LC3 interacts with the lysosomal calcium channel TRPML1, facilitating calcium efflux essential for TFEB activation. Furthermore, we demonstrate the presence and importance of this TFEB activation mechanism in kidneys in a mouse model of oxalate nephropathy accompanying lysosomal damage. A proximal tubule-specific TFEB-knockout mouse exhibited progression of kidney injury induced by oxalate crystals. Together, our results reveal unexpected mechanisms of TFEB activation by LC3 lipidation and their physiological relevance during the lysosomal damage response.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acute Kidney Injury / metabolism
  • Acute Kidney Injury / pathology*
  • Animals
  • Autophagy*
  • Autophagy-Related Protein 5 / genetics
  • Autophagy-Related Protein 5 / metabolism
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors / metabolism*
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors / physiology*
  • Calcium / metabolism
  • HeLa Cells
  • Homeostasis
  • Humans
  • Lipids / chemistry*
  • Lysosomes / metabolism
  • Lysosomes / pathology*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins / genetics
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • Autophagy-Related Protein 5
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors
  • Lipids
  • MAP1LC3A protein, human
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins
  • TFEB protein, human
  • Tcfeb protein, mouse
  • Calcium